Rikke Moller Pedersen Leads World Rankings Onslaught at Danish Open

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, March 30. THROUGHOUT the four days of competition at the Danish Open, the SwimVortex world rankings took some major hits with some of the top swimmers in attendance.

Denmark’s Rikke Moller Pedersen vaulted to the top of the world rankings in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:06.19. She’s the first swimmer to break 1:07 this year, bettering Jessica Hardy’s 1:07.05 from the Arena Grand Prix in Austin.

Pederson doubled up with a sizzling 31.11 to win the women’s 50-meter breast. That swim pushed her to fourth in the world rankings, just ahead of Leison Pickett’s 31.20 from Australia in January. She then claimed her third title of the meet, and second No. 1 ranking with a 2:19.94 in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke. She won the finale by nearly 10 seconds, and bested Kanako Watanabe’s previously top-ranked 2:22.46 by a wide margin.

Denmark’s Jeanette Ottesen raced to victory in the women’s 50-meter free with a 24.74 to 24.82 touchout against Pernille Blume. Otttesen had already held third in the world rankings with a 24.54, while Blume moved to sixth overall. Ottesen them moved to fourth in the women’s 100-meter fly rankings with a 58.10 for the win. Louise Hansson finished behind her with a 58.63 to move to ninth in the rankings.

Blume turned the tables on Ottesen in the women’s 100-meter free with a 53.69 for the win. That swim put Blume third in the world. Ottesen took second in 54.07 to tie Fran Halsall for seventh overall in the standings. Hansson then beat Blume in the women’s 200-meter free, 1:58.86 to 2:00.47.

Ottesen returned in the women’s 50-meter fly with a scorching 25.62. That swim moved her to second in the world behind Sarah Sjostrom’s 25.53.

Mads Glaesner moved into the top 10 in the world rankings with a 3:50.59 to win the men’s 400-meter freestyle finale with Faroe Island’s Pal Joensen taking second in 3:51.45. Glaesner’s second ranked win came by way of the men’s 800-meter free. He posted a 7:58.13 for the win, jumping to fourth in the world rankings. Joensen returned in the men’s 1500-meter free with a 15:12.20 for the win to move to eighth overall in the world.

Lotte Friis, who already stands fifth in the world rankings with an 8:28.65 from the Arena Grand Prix in Austin, easily won the women’s 800-meter free this week with an 8:33.34. Friis doubled with a 4:10.59 to win the women’s 400-meter free by nearly four seconds. Friis’ third win came by way of a 16:31.45 in the women’s 1500-meter free to jump her to sixth in the world rankings.

Mie Nielsen twice lowered the Nordic record in the women’s 50-meter back. During prelims, she clocked a 28.28 before becoming the first Nordic woman under 28 seconds with a 27.96 to win the finale. That performance pushed her to third in the rankings. Iceland’s Eyglo Gustafsdottir placed second in 28.68, but had already posted a 28.61 to rank ninth in the world.

Gustafsdottir also hit the wall in 2:10.34 to win the women’s 200-meter backstroke as she jumped to ninth in the world rankings.

In the women’s 100-meter back, Nielsen returned with a blazing 59.83 for the win. That effort leaped her into second in the rankings behind only Emily Seebohm (59.80). In fact, only three women have broken 1:00 this year with Katinka Hosszu ranking third I n59.98.

Poland’s Alicja Tchorz clipped compatriot Klaudia Nazieblo, 2:12.80 to 2:13.00, for the women’s 200-meter fly title. Tchorz doubled up with a 4:50.19 to win the women’s 400-meter IM by more than four seconds. Tchorz’s third win of the meet occurred in the women’s 200-meter IM, where she clocked a 2:15.65.

Brazil’s Raphael de Oliveira Rodrigues took home the men’s 50-meter breast crown in 28.12. Notably, Mathias Andersen clocked a 28.59 in semis to beat Niklas Hedegaard’s Danish record. Rodrigues doubled up with a 1:01.61 to win the men’s 100-meter breaststroke as well.

Daniel Steen Andersen turned in a 53.34 to win the men’s 100-meter fly. Daniel Skaaning snared the men’s 200-meter free title with a 1:49.94, with Andersen taking a close second in 1:50.00. Skaaning then won the men’s 200-meter IM in 2:01.87.

Denmark’s Chris Chirstensen pocketed the men’s 400-meter IM with a 4:22.54 for the win. Christensen doubled up with a 2:15.54 to win the men’s 200-meter breast.

Poland’s Mateusz Wysoczynski picked up the men’s 200-meter backstroke title in 2:01.92. Viktor Bromer clocked a 1:58.54 to win the men’s 200-meter fly.

Brazil’s Alan Madeira Da Vitoria grabbed the men’s 50-meter free win with a 22.47. Mateusz Chaba touched out Oskar Krupecki, 24.68 to 24.78, for the men’s 50-meter fly win. Vitaly Melnikov won the men’s 100-meter back title in 55.68.

Magnus Westermann checked in with a 50.19 to win the men’s 100-meter free. Magnus Jakupsson touched out Petter Fredriksson, 26.32 to 26.35, in the men’s 50-meter back.

Author: Jason Marsteller

Jason Marsteller is the general manager of digital properties at Swimming World. He joined Swimming World in June 2006 as the managing editor after previous stints as a media relations professional at Indiana University, the University of Tennessee, Southern Utah University and the Utah Summer Games.